Bea's Balikbayan Box of Treasures

For seven-year-old Bea, a box can be a bear cave, a playhouse, or even a rocket ship. In Bea's Balikbayan Box of Treasures, Bea's box has an important destiny. She and her family will fill it up with goodies for their relatives in the Philippines. A balikbayan box is the ultimate international care package and an expression of love for many Filipino families living abroad. Bea and her family spend months gathering and packing surprises. Special food for Tito Rico. Fancy lotion for Tita Alma. For Maribel and the other pinsans, the best treasures of all--bubble wands, chocolates, stuffed animals.

When the package has been shipped, Bea waits patiently for it to arrive overseas--it could take two whole months! Meanwhile, she learns about the balikbayan tradition and how it helps sustain her connection to her far-away family. Finally, Bea's family gets a video call from Tito Rico, Tita Alma, and Bea's pinsan, Maribel, and they connect over the excitement of unpacking the box.

• Introduces the important Filipino tradition of "balikbayan box" care packages
• Tells the story of a Filipina-American girl who learns to embrace her heritage and family activities
• Encourages connection with family living overseas for families who have immigrated

Alongside Bea, young readers can discover a sense of belonging, practice empathy, and build self-awareness.

Filipina-American author Christine Alemshah brings culture and connection to life in Bea's Balikbayan Box of Treasures.

Christine Alemshah (she/her) is a biracial Filipina-American children's author and classically trained vocalist; she is the author of Bea's Balikbayan Box of Treasures. Christine writes children's picture books championing innovation and celebrating multiculturalism, often with musical or percussive vibes. She hopes readers will see themselves in the stories she writes. Christine studied psychology and music, earning a bachelor of arts degree from Whittier College. When not writing, Christine enjoys singing karaoke and reading with her husband and two daughters under cozy blankets at their Lake Forest, California, home. Find out more about Christine at christinealemshah.com.

Dream (Mengqian) Chen is an artist with a background in both illustration and animation. She received her BFA in animation at Communication University of China and her MFA in visual art at Minneapolis College of Art and Design. She prides herself on creating colorful and imaginative dream worlds using a variety of media and tools. She has experimented with photography, stop-motion animation, printmaking, illustration, papermaking, bookbinding, and much more. She lives in Shanghai, China. To see more of her work, visit dreamchen.org or Instagram @dreamchenillustration.